241407.xx ¦¦ JL Doctor Scarlet Rogers & Lieutenant Commander Tierney Rinehart ¦¦ Protecting Friends

Posted on 241407.25 @ 7:06am by Lieutenant Scarlet Rogers MD & Commander Tierney Rinehart

The young doctor was somewhat satisfied with the brief. As she left the room and headed back to the MedBay for a moment her mind wandered into a world of it's own still daydreaming about times of past with Thelin. It was surprising how the young CMO didn't walk into anybody as she smiled, walking ironically tall.

Tierney snaked away from the observation lounge like shark tailing blood in the water. She quickly stuffed away the PaDD she'd been working on and jogged the last few steps between her and the strutting doctor, finally coming shoulder to shoulder with her and falling into stride. "So... I feel the need to ask if you're taking up my role as the one with potential suicidal tendencies." The starchild dead panned, turning her head quickly to look at her and moved to avoid being mowed down by an Ensign who had their nose precariously stuck in a PaDD of their own.

Scarlet snapped out of her daze and stopped dead in the hallway, turning to face Tierney and bluntly said, "I know my position on this ship. I love my job. I am not compromising what I do because our standards dictate that we need to be in control all the time. What is wrong with, even if it's just pretend, trying to be a somewhat innocent party. It may help us."

Hitting the brakes, herself, Tierney shook her head and arched a brow. "It's called a concealed weapon, a contingency plan just in case things go completely pear shaped." She replied, resting her hands on her hips as if she were scolding a child. "You can be as innocent as you like, but you need to be smart about it and not land yourself in hot water. Provided you have money, they're not going to care about innocence." A hand lifted to pinch the bridge of her nose, fighting away the headache that began to gnaw at her.

"You have no right to tell me how to do my job, and how to remain good at it," Scarlet hissed, "I am doing my job perfectly without comprising my beliefs. I have security backing me up regardless. You even said it yourself a mere second ago: as long as I have money, they won't care."

"I have every right to tell you not to risk your neck because you want to be stubborn!" Tierney barked back in a high whisper, "You're my friend. I care about my friends, especially when they do something downright dumb. You're going into chaos out there, it's easy to become separated from people... And then what? What if redheaded human woman is on the menu for slave traders?"

"And what if it's like Nirvana down there?" Scarlet smiled as she tried to comfort Tierney, "I appreciate you care, but please try and understand that I am trying to keep my job my top priority at this present time. I've had some issues with a member of staff and I need to put my job first at this present time. Regardless of my judgement on this, I want to do this and I will take the consequences if there are any. I may never have faith in away missions due to past experience, but I do know that I have more faith in this one than any other ones because of an outside influence."

"It's not." The starchild said flatly, her head canting off to one side as she regarded the other ginger for a long, hard moment, "Staying alive to be able to do your job should be your top priority, Scarlet, I'm sure there's others aboard this ship that would be more than inclined to agree with me." She scoffed lightly, releasing her nose, "But..." She sighed, "It's ultimately your decision and your funeral should you miscalculate your risks. That's the choice you make."

"If I come back from this mission, regardless, I will not be able to do my job properly because shit is about to hit the fan about mine and Thelin's relationship," Scarlet quietened, "It is a lose lose situation and unless you have any bright ideas that both doesn't compromise my beliefs and also attempts for me to restore order back on my ship, I am open to suggestion."

"Hit the fan? Why?" The shorter woman's eyes widened, her voice lowered and softened.

"I've just been accused by a security officer of being involved in the stuff that got our captain taken and our XO demoted back to engineering," Scarlet replied, "I don't trust her to keep her mouth shuts. I have not told her anything and have just said I am friends with him, but I can't see that staying quiet for long regardless." She sighed, "The thing is, I've seen the proof of his innocence; I know he and the captain are innocent. But I cannot tell everyone that as it's not my place to say anything."

Tierney bristled slightly, the fine baby hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as a chill ran up her back, "Do you suppose it's an attempt at mutiny or just sheer stupidity coming from a slap happy security officer?" She asked, breaking her no touching rule to grab Scarlet's hand and tug her off in the direction of a more private talking space. "I know they're innocent, you know they're innocent -- why any one else would second guess it when we're going to such lengths to stay undetected is ridiculous." She all but hissed as she marched along.

"I don't have a clue, but I don't trust this situation. You know as well as I do that security officers tend to have god-complexes," Scarlet sighed, "I'm not suggesting she is going to cause a mutiny, but I do know that if this gets out, it will cause a bigger issue than anything else."

"Deny all knowledge." Tierney halted once they reached a quiet corridor, away from traffic, away from everything that could possibly over hear them. "You pretend like nothing has ever happened, go about your business and don't let anyone see you be effected by what she's said or suggested." Her tongue worried the fullness of her lower lip and was quickly replaced by her teeth. "The best place to hide things is right under their noses, out in plain sight."

"She's seen Thelin going in and out of my quarters and spending the night," Scarlet sighed, "We got into a scrap outside my quarters and Thelin appeared out of them to break it up. I'm not sure I can hide this much longer. I need that information proving innocence to be distributed."

"He had a splinter." came the wry response of the Intel officer, "You come up with something. He's a man of peace, of course he would break up a spat. There's that."

"Oh, so he got a splinter everyday for the past few weeks and has been so critical he stops the night on my sofa?" Scarlet bluntly and somewhat sarcastically said.

"It doesn't have to be a splinter." Tierney snorted lightly, "The point is that you need a contingency plan and a reason why that makes logical sense. He's an engineer, maybe you've been having issues with the lighting and replicator. There's so many maybes you can come up with that cover your ass and you need to do it with a smile and a shrug."

"This has already gone too far," Scarlet hissed, "I have a broken nose for starters. She is going to be like a pitbull. They bite and don't let go. I don't know what to do."

The smaller woman's eyes closed and a sigh heaved and rocked her shoulders, "Why?" She asked, incredulous, "Both of you will wind up at Captain's Mass for fighting."

"Yes," the young doctor nodded, "I am fully aware, but it's only if that get's back to the captain. Which I don't think it will. I think the officer will by pass it altogether and keep it to herself until she knows the truth."

"You may get lucky if she doesn't decide to implicate herself and throw herself at the mercy of the command." Tierney tapped at her chin, thinking, trying to piece together strategy and idly coming up with nothing, "Or you could threaten to do the same. Maybe she'll try to save her career and agree to shut up. Other than that? You save face and act like nothing happened. That's all you can do."

"I want my relationship to go public, I'm sick of hiding, although the adrenalin make everything so much better in other aspects, but my hands are tied," Scarlet sighed, "I need wither Thelin to talk to the captain, but chances are, I won't see him now before we leave in a few hours."

"Then go with a clear head and come back and go public. Forget what everyone says or thinks." The little one shrugged in response, "They hate what they don't know or understand more than what they do know. It's just how that works."

"If I go public, I risk everyone on board this ship," Scarlet hissed, "This will backfire. No one will trust me, and they need to be able to trust the person who's in charge of their welfare and lives." Scarlet stood awkwardly, "Also, the lieutenant in question wants to talk to you about this. If she asks, just say classified. You don't want to be seen as a liar when all of this does come out to the open. You're already disliked, I won't have you lying to a security officer too. You're my friend too, and I won't drag you down with me."

For a long moment there was silence as Tierney considered what the woman had said and allowed the stinging barb of her words to settle and self soothe. She knew the crew had no love for her, no trust and secretly convened to track her movements, hoping she'd screw up and give them a reason to cut her throat and get away with it. No one liked a spy -- and yet it still hurt to hear. Her blue eyes darkened considerably and she averted her gaze, "I'll handle it my way, your secrets will remain safe with me, Scarlet. I promised you that and I'll stay true to my word. You can't drag me down much further than this anyway." She shrugged, her voice quiet and slow as she took a step back from the other woman, "We shouldn't waste anymore time giving this nonsense anymore power."

"Thelin said he'd talk to the captain," Scarlet shrugged, "But I need you to be able to wash your hands of this if and when you need to. This ship doesn't trust intelligence as it is, let alone an individual like yourself. So stay safe. I'll see you in a few hours on board our ship." Scarlet smiled slightly and went to walk away.

"I get it. They hate me, always will." Tierney blew an agitated sigh, watching the woman walk away, "Take a damned sidearm!" She called out after her, nearly forgetting the entire point behind cornering the other woman.

People, she thought, could be so smart and yet lack so much common sense.

"No chance in hell," Scarlet smirked and walked in the general heading of the MedBay.